Milling attachment for lathes



5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 14, 1949 v1 mm tw .m m

P 1954 A. VIEHWEGER MILLING ATTACHMENT FOR LATHES 5 Sheets-Sheei 2 Filed Feb. 14, 1949 JI'VVENTOR. Vie/9w eye/ Sept. 28, 1954 WEHWEGER 2,690,096

MILLING ATTACHMENT FOR LATHES Filed Feb. 14, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY Sept. 28, 1954 A. VIEHWEGER 2,690,096

MILLING ATTACHMENT FOR- LATHES Filed Feb. 14, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I INVENTOR. iz/ dz/s/ l Af/xlmgder w @MKW ///a/waz Sept. 28, 1954 A. VIEHWEGER MILLING ATTACHMENT FOR LATHES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 14, 1949 ]N VENTOR.

Patented Sept. 28, 1954 2,690,096 MILLING ATTACHMENT FOR LATHES August Viehweger,

Caledonia, Mich., assignor to Adaptor Machine Company, a corporation of Michigan Application February 14, 1949, Serial No. 76,329

12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in milling attachments for lathes.

The principal objects of this invention are:

First, to provide an attachment by means of which a lathe may be used as a milling machine.

Second, to provide an attachment for converting a lathe to a milling machine in which the milling cutter operates in a vertical plane parallel to the ways'of the lathe.

' Third, to provide a conversion attachment for a lathe by means of which the lathe may be used as a milling machine with table of the lathe serving as a work holding and work advancing means for the milling cutter.

Fourth, to provide one form of milling attachment for a lathe which is able relative to the bed of the modate work pieces of various Fifth, to provide an inexpensive mechanism for converting a lathe for use as a milling machine.

Other objects and advantages of my milling attachment will be apparent from a consideration of the following The drawings of which there are five sheets a fragmentary front elevational view of a lathe with my milling attachment mounted thereon, portions of the attachment and lathe being broken away in vertical cross section along the plane of the broken line l-l in Fig. 2. I

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the attachment shown in Fig. 1, partially broken away in horizontal cross section along the plane of the line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical cross sectional view through the milling unit of my milling attachment taken along the plane of the line 3-3 in Fig. 1. v

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse cross sectional view through the lathe and head stock unit taken along the plane of the line 4-4 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a modified form of my lathe attachment as mounted on a lathe.

Fig.- 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the attachment shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an end line 1 1 in Fig. Fig; 8: is a transverse cross sectional view 2 through the lathe and attachment taken along the plane of the line 8-8 in Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary horizontal cross sectional view taken along the plane of the line 9-9 in Fig. 5.

for sliding motion transversely of the ways. The carriage 6 is adjusted along the ways by means of the hand as the feed'screw II.

The first form trated head stock milling unit I4 which are supported independently on the bed of the lathe and drivingly connected by the sprocket chain IS. The head stock unit [3 consists of a bracket I6 having a base I! supclamping the bracket to the lathe.

Above the base l1 the bracket [6 is provided with upstanding flanges 2! which are integrally joined with and support a gear housing 22. The walls of the housing 22 form a gear recess 23, a spindle shaft bearing opening 24 and a pair of driven shaft bearing openings 25. The open end of the gear recess is closed by the 29 is journaled in the bearing opening 25 and extends transversely of the ways gears 30 in driving gear 28.

..th ..m 11ine shaft housing 351.

34 and handle 35 carried by the top wall of the housing 22. The rear end of the cross shaft 25 carries a sprocket 36 for driving the chain 15.

The milling unit l4 consists of a base 31 of I- beam cross section which is supported to the rear of the lathe by a pair of forwardly extending arms 38 which project underneath the bed of the lathe. The arms; are clamped to the bed of the lathe .by.;a ,pairbf bolts.39 extending upwardly through a clamp bar 40 supported on the top of the cross members 4| between the front and rear rails of the lathe bed.

Secured to the top flange of *thebasetl is a plate 42 which has the opposed .bracketsdl?) and 44 secured thereto in longitudinally spaced relationship along the bed of the lathe. The left bracket 43 as viewed in thedrawings is, provided with an upright 45 having a clove tail tongue 46 formed along its vertical face. The upright 45 is vertically slotted as at 41 forming a slideway -for, theiollowerbolck. 48 and anadjusting, screw 49 extends through the $1011.41.

and-Bn agesthe block,48 for-vertical adjustmentof. the block in the slot.

The dove tail tongue is slidably. received in a mating dove tail, slotfill formed .intheside of .The ,dove ...tail tongue and slotthus form a verticalslideand ways'for. the milling shafthousing and suitable gibs .52 may .beprovided on the milling. shaft housing. The milling [shaft housing. consists of a. generally rectangular hollow body. having a tOD wall '53,. front and rear walls 54 and .side

.walls55. ;The side,.wall 55 in whichjthe dove tailislot 50 is formedissecuredtdthe follower l block, 48 by a screwLB and, the opposite side wall '55 forms, a dovetail slotj151...cooperative.witha "dove tail tongue58' formed on the upright 59 of the right bracket.

It will thus beseen that the millin shaft housing; is vertically, jslidably. supported between the r k t '4 ndi 44. and saute adj sted vert c l y by rotation of -the ,screw 1.49 and .theihalld The front and rear walls 54 otlihe milling "shaft housing are 1 bored: to receive .the, antirfriction bearings 6| which rotatably sl pportjjthe. milling shaft 62. i The. shaftifii extends to the. rearof the milling shaft housing. and has a keyed connection with a sprocket"B3 driven, by ,the chainf15. The shaft, b2 is axially. bor d and recesseda at to islidably receive; the; taperedendiofl the. arbor;.,55. The clamp screw 66,, extends. through the rear of the milling "shaft into the. arbor andis provided with a collarifi'land hand wheel 68 to non-rrotatably clamp the arbor in thefshaft recess. A milling cutter 69 is carried by the a'rbor in the ,usual fashion and located axially'thereon by. a,plu rality of spacin washers'flfl. "Thejfront and. rear walls of the milling shaft housinhare provided with upstanding. ears" 1! which are',,.bored, and slotted as at;12' to receive asteadyjbarldprojecting' forwardly over'the cutter", 6,9. The .bar "I3 is adjustably clamped .in.,'the cars by .the -screws141 and a steady'linkfi15isclampedbetween the outer ends of the. steady bar .and arbor 65 to-assist in holding the milling cutter'..69 in positionwhile operating.

From the foregoing "description it should be apparent that-my headstock unit '1 Sand milling unit 14 are easily-clamped to a standard lathe to receive driving energy from the .chuck of, the lathe and transmit it to the, milling. cutter which is vertically adjustably positioned over theways orthelathe. "The standard carriage and table of the lathe can thus be used as a work holder for presenting work to the milling cutter. No alterations of the lathe are required and the milling attachment is easily installed or removed so that with a relatively small outlay in addition to the lathe, I am able to provide both a lathe and a milling machine.

The- -wsecond: form ofcmy milling; attachment to.9 consists of.a head stock unit 16, a milling unit 11 and a brace bracket 18.

{The head stock unit consists of a bracket 19 having a base 811 extends ,upwardly to a pair spaced transversely extending plates 83 which lot the bracket and rotatably with .a longitudinally. extending housing 88 forms.

secured to the bed of the lathe by a bolt Bl and-clamp bar 82. The bracket 19 of longitudinally rotatably :supportalthe spindle shaft 54 for engagement withthe chuck of the lathe. The plates-83 extend rearwardly of the lower portion support the driven shaft 85. Gears 86 are provided on the shafts 84 and..85 ,between; the .plates ..83 to transmit driving force to the shaftMBS.

Thev right. end .of thebracketlQ is provided arm. .81 .which rigidly supports the milling unit 17. .The milling unit 11 consists of a housing 38 secured to. the arm. 81. by. the. screws. 89. One. side .wall. vof the a bearing...9ll forthe driven shaft. .85.an d.a beveledsear. 9|..is carried on the driven gear within the. housing. ..The. front.wall

,of the .housing 88.carries,the .b,earing,.92 .forthe spindle shaft 93,..and the, rear, end. ofthespindle .shaftis .journaled in. a bearing. carried, in, the

96 is mounted, onjthe spindle drivin engagementwith the bevel. gear 9.1.

' Formed on the t p. of. the .housinglmisa boss 91 to whichjthe steady ,bariQB is.-.adiustably clampedby, the. cap 9.9. 'The steady.,bar.. 9a and spindle. 'shaft'.93.,extend forwardly, .of .,.the housn 8.;andare.joinedtogether bytheremovable link 100. The milling cutter 69 is mounted-0n the spindle shaft. in...t,he ,usual fashion.

"'Thei,.bracdbracket 1.1 8 ,.p,ositioned to...the; ri ht of the milling .unitjgllis adjustblytsecured.to theflbed of'ithe' lathe by. a.,bo,lt Ml Lend. is...-provided with ,an ,upright. .l fiz'iorming a .holev for. adju'stably receiving The,.-left I -the..brace ,bar, :l 23. end of "thelbrace ,bar' is. rigidlyrecei ed.iira boss 1| ta gforrned .,on L'the right wallpf ...the housin 38; ";'1. e1, .brace bracket; .18. andbar .lli3,. thus,cooperate withithe arm .8l.. on .the..head...stock unitl to 'hjol'd', the,, millilf ..unit TI rigid with rep fl .thebedbfthe lathe. -Thebracebracket 18, can be adjusted, inwardly toward the milling unit as closely as the size of the, we ,1; piecebeing operated on will permit.

'I- havethus described' two modified'forms of my mechanism ior'utili'zing' the power and adjustable carriage of "a lathe to "accomplish a milling operation. I have not illustratedother possible variations of my attachment 'as it is believed r-that -otl-1ers -mayadapt the theory of my invention to .such spe'ci'ali-zed situations as may appear necessary without further disclosure.

. {Having ifithus: describedi any i invention what I claimiasgnewiandzdesire;toesecuretbyiietters Patent is:

.l. A:mil ingiattachmentiiorzia lathe comprising a head stock unitaadaptedcto ibe secu-red to the bed .of; the lathe and,;h,aving-. a spindle shaft drivingly.engageable-witm the :chuclsofthe lathe... a. cross .shaft..carr ied by saidnhead stock unit and having oppositely rotating-.gearsthereon drivenimm aidspindlaclutch .means for-.se-

lectively engaging said oppositely rotating gears with said and said steady bar.

2. A milling attachment for a lathe comprismeans on one of said brackets for adjusting said housing on said ways, a milling shaft rotatably said housing and parallel to said cross and said cross shaft, movably clamped to said milling shaft.

4. A milling attachment for a lathe comprising a head stock unit adapted to be secured to sprockets rotatably connecting said milling shaft and said cross shaft.

5. A milling attachment for a lathe comprising a head stock a housing slideable along said ways, screw means on one of said brackets for adjusting said housdrivingly connecting said sprocket to the driving chuck of the lathe, said means including a chain 

